A Daughter's Journey
by Athenica
Summary: Lady Isabella refused to sit in her chambers while a battle raged but in trying to escape she was too late and ended up captured instead at a noblemans mercy she hides herself as a boy and try's to learn, adapt and maybe love. Midevial times
1. Capture

I do not own Twilight.

Story set in the middle ages when England wasn't unified yet and the French tended to raid settlements

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No one ever said you had to be a guy to fight, but my dad seems to think so. So here I am stuck in my chambers changing into things that would give my father a heart attack if he saw, a shirt, jerkin(leather vest), and trousers to go with the black riding boots I stole, and the sword that has been mine since I turned 16 not to mention the 2 boot knives and lock pick set I traded a thief his freedom for. I managed to be lucky(or smart) enough to convince him that I could get him out of his cell before the guards came back, and I did it helps to have a key.

I wasn't much of a lady so it was fairly easy to hide any evidence of what I was. My dark brown hair was braided against my scalp and tucked into the shirt. The rest of it was concealed by the jerkin.

I can hear the sounds of the battle from here and see the line of buildings burning and if I am lucky I will be able to slip away before they reach the keep and trap me here. A sudden scream from down the hall warns me that I may have less time than I thought I did. No way in gods name that I was going to go down without a fight or without taking a few of them along for the ride.

The door slammed open just as I drew my sword. The man through the door was surprised to not see the noblewoman cowering in the corner like he expected he shouted in his poor English, "Where did you hide her." I didn't bother with an answer I think the sword I shoved through his neck was answer enough. The next men into the room were smart enough to just try to hold me there until they could get enough men in there to rush me and make anything I could do basically pointless I would be dead anyway.

The Knight who walked into the room next had me wondering about other things than battle. He was gorgeous what little I could see of him through the armor adorned with a black shield bearing a dragon and a tree the symbols of the kings own guard.

He spared barely a glance for the soldier on the floor, it worried me he didn't look at me as a problem, but as a prize and that could be bad I didn't want to spend my life as a nobleman's slave, soldier or otherwise, or worse if they figured out what I was hding as a concubine. A fate I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

He told me in clear English, "Lad if you do not wish to die tonight lay down your arms, I will see to your well being there is little point in resisting your king is dead. Drop your weapons and I will make sure you do not suffer the misfortune of being sold or ending up dead."

_I didn't want to be sold slaves where often chained for weeks before a sale and guarder heavily. It would make escape impossible._

The words broke the last of my will to fight I had one question for him though, I asked him in French, "How do I know you will keep your word."

The knight seemed shocked that I spoke his language but that didn't seem to change his minde.

His answer was simple. "You don't."

I sheathed my sword, stood up straight and said, "Sae la vi." and threw my self to the fates mercy. I just hoped that they wouldn't search me too well the pick set and boot knives I needed to escape later.

He walked up to me said you keep your weapons but I have one question for you, "where is she."

"Left last night, tunnel under the dungeons took a horse and fled." Which would have been my escape if they hadn't screwed up my timing.

His eyes narrowed and he asked, "How do you know this?"

"That I will be keeping to myself. But one does notice that when someone like that goes down and doesn't come back up she must of left in between the rest," shrug, "best guess, its what I would have done in 'er place."

He nodded and said, "Since you came peacefully enough you keep your weapons but," he looked at one of his soldiers and nodded, "Bind his arms."

They tensed expecting me to fight. I stood still it would be folly to resist against so many alone, all it would of done would be to loose me any chance to escape later. Which would require a few slipped knots a couple tricks and a lot of patience. That annoying tutor my father chose always said, "good things come to those who wait," I hated her. I learned more from the street rats I hung with when I slipped out of the castle or the smith in the village who taught me how to fight. Hell I learned more from listening to the servants gosip than I ever did from her.

I relaxed when the rope went around my wrists, it meant that I would at least live 'til tonight, if they didn't try and dump me in a gully first.

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Jerkin: a close fitting vest made to be light armor for archers and poor foot soldiers.

Keep: safest and best defended area of a fortress often called the castle surrounded by walls.


	2. Bound or not?

I do not own Twilight.

If you don't know what something is ask me, I will be happy to post a definition for you or just explain the odd way my mind works most of the time.

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Bpov:

The soldiers walked me back towards their base camp around 5 miles from the walls, bragging all the while how the Lord Edward of Wilshire had killed Lord Charles and almost captured his daughter. Well at least i knew my captors name because since he _negotiated_ my capture i was his slave to do with as he wished, which made me rediculously happy that I had the presence of mind to disguise myself as a boy.

We were entering the main camp now and people seemed to be suprised that a boy as young as i looked was taken captive at all.

**TIME JUMP**

They had to tie me to a tent pole in the center of the camp, I guess the fact that a _boy_ as young as I looked to be had killed one of their soldiers gave them the grudge to put me where everyone could watch me, making escape impossible. The nobleman Edward had apparently requested that I be where I couldn't slip away, I was just happy that they had not switched my rope bindings for iron's. I had already loosened the knots on my hands so when _Edward_ walked over to me and asked, "What is your name boy?" I answered with the first name I could think of the town smith's name, "Clarke."

He glanced at me and told me, "Don't run off I don't want to chase you all over the countryside later but go get some bread from the kitchen," he also pointed out, "if you are going to untie your hands in the future don't let the rope go slack." and he entered the tent I had been tied against.

I was shocked score's of men had walked by me and hadn't noticed that. I stood and walked off in search of bread.

Score: twenty


	3. Questions answered

**NOT A CHAPTER**

To Liv's mom thank you for reviewing

In this story Bella is resentful of her father he is keeping her locked up in the castle while she is wishing to be learning how to fight, and other tricks boys of that age learned.

No they generally didn't get to keep their weapons if they where captured. Letting a captured soldier keep their weapon would encourage them to resist, but having them really search her would be kind of awkward and if they find out she is a girl she will have worse things than whether or not she got to keep her tools and her sword. The general order of soldier sacking a city was rape, loot, pillage, and then burn, it wasn't till after the United states Revolutionary war that armies really got a handle on that.

Edward is curious it was very very rare for a man to be allowed in a ladies personal chambers at all, let alone without her apparent knowledge. He figures that _Clarke_ might be worth something. If not he now has a boy in his care who is skilled with a sword and changing allegiances wasn't uncommon during those days he may be hoping to find himself a new knight, or a servant who can defend him if attacked, and if that isn't enough he may be hoping to ransom him back to his family.

At this point the story is trickling into my head in dribs and drabs when I have time I will post but for now my dreams are still spinning up the plot line.


	4. A mystery

I do not own Twilight, the way my mind works is a different matter.

Epov

That boy 'was a mystery. First I saw him he was standing in the Lady Isabella's chambers after killing one of the idiots who called themselves soldiers, and holding off 5 men without any damage to himself. For a boy he was wearing a sword that was very well cared for and well made, clothes that looked both too fine and too clean to have been stolen, and a pair of very well made boots that where probably worth quite a few crowns more than the rest of his outfit.

His features where very elfin almost to feminine for his face, and he was slim built more like an arrow than a stave, but his hands showed none of the signs of harsh labor. A sign of higher status than the street rats that lurked on every corner.

He was worth a fair bit if his family had survived to ransom him back to and if not he spoke French very well making me wonder if his father was a merchant it was rare for anyone other than merchants and Lord's families where taught languages other than their own at all.

Clarke had surrendered himself without putting up a fight or resisting having his arms bound behind him at all. He knew enough about how Lady Isabella had escaped that he for now was worth more living than dead. It was a pity that she had escaped I was looking forward to forcing her to wed me making her families land rightfully mine, and eliminating the constant raids into both of our lands. She was renowned for her beauty, wit and charm, she would have been the mother of all prizes, worth more than all the gold that was looted.

As I walked up to him I was glad that I had requests that Clarke be tied to my tent in the middle of the camp, it wasn't as grand as some of the pavilions that some of the more absurd Lords decreed built for them it was a simple canvas tent, thick enough to make anything I chose to do away from scrutiny. I looked down at him and was surprised to find that the ropes that bound his arms where a little slack, I had watched them bind him then the ropes had been taught. He managed to slip his knots and now was looking around at all the soldiers with an air of futility, the kind of air a man who after starving for a long while was set a plate in front of him and was not allowed to eat, more than slightly mad at the world and the folly of fates.

Now I was curious I wanted to know the name of this lad at least so I could stop referring to him as boy in my head I knelt by him and asked, "What is your name boy?"

He answered, "Clarke."

The name didn't seem to fit him but I let it go. I stood upright and said as I turned towards my tent ready after a long day of fighting to just sleep.

I looked at him and told him, "Don't run off I don't want to have to chase you all over the countryside later but go get some bread from the kitchen." He looked at me exasperated like won't you untie me. I smiled and pointed out, "If you are going to untie your hands in the future don't let the rope go slack." As sleep overcame me I wasn't worried about him running off he hadn't tried to leave while we marched back or afterwards and I trusted that he wouldn't think that he would be stupid enough to think he could outrun a mounted squad.

I won't be able to update over the weekend my family is going to be out of town so I can't get to my computer to update.


	5. Prizes

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters listed here I own their personalities and the plot line but thats it.**

Bpov:

After I had grabbed part of a loaf from the camp kitchens I wandered back to the fire near where I was tied. If Lord Edward didn't feel as if he could trust me I could loose the chance to escape later, though I really didn't see the point now I had nowhere to run.

Two men walked towards Edward's tent one was tall and blond and the other was more muscular, both of them where garbed in the same colors of finery as Edward and I guessed these must be his brothers that I had heard about. They were each dragging a girl behind them and I paled as I recognized Rosalie and Alice.

The men appeared to have suffered some damage trying to contain them Tall one had a long rip in his sleeve where It looked like Alice had gotten lucky with the short dirk she was fond of carrying about and almost landed a blow that would have let her run. Rosalie on the other hand had bruises from where the rope had been pulled dragging her probably behind these men's horses. I had been lucky enough to be captured by a foot patrol and walk with them even though Lord Edward was mounted, sparing me rope burns.

Edward stepped out of his tent as they approached and called, "Jasper, Emmet I wondered where you had gotten off to after the battle." The man I guessed was Emmet, he was to big and Jasper didn't seem to fit him replied, "Well we found these lovely ladies and they decided to object to some of the men's attention. They had wounded six and killed two before we got there." Gesturing towards Rosalie he said, "this one tried to run and the other one almost got Jazz."

Edward seemed to find it funny that a lass as little as Alice had almost beaten Jasper, something I guessed was impressive. "Jasper you are one of our best swordsmen are you telling me that this lass almost knifed you."

Jasper blushed and muttered something about her slipping the rope he put on her. Which explained why her wrists were red, she had untied the previous set.

Edward slapped them both on the backs and told them to sleep he would deal with both of the girls till they woke up. They both ducked into Edwards tent I guess they shared one, odd for a commander but it made sense it kept them where they could all be found.

He rubbed his hands together and called for me. "Clarke."

I trotted over their and both of the girls had their eyes widen a fraction when they saw me but where smart enough to give no other signs that they knew me. He continued with the rest of his instructions after switching to French, "Since you seem to know these young ladies you will be responsible for their upkeep. Find them some clothes that are more suitable for a march. After you have gotten them some food return them here they will be sharing the tent with my brothers tonight and for several of the nights henceforth, they are my brothers prizes and will be treated as such."

I couldn't keep the disgust from showing on my face and Lord Edward seemed to pick up on it. He warned me, "I have no quibbles turning them over to several squads of men."

Which made my face drain of color, gang rape was the least that they would endure as common camp whores, they would be lucky if someone slit their throats after that few woman ever fully recovered from that kind of ordeal.

He continued, "as an officers wife they will be better taken care of then the hand outs they will receive otherwise, since they seem to have caught my brothers fancy. Search them before they are given to my brothers if they find any weapons on them you will find yourself in irons without the weapons you seem to prize so much."

As much as I resented it I replied with a grudging, "Yes my lord."

He turned and headed in the direction of the camp stables probably to coordinate a patrol or some such task. I waited till he was out of sight to grab one of my boot knives and cut the ropes holding their hands in front of them.

Rosalie whispered, "How in gods name did you manage to end up here."

Alice added in, "And what are you doing going by Clarke?"


End file.
